Free The Encounter by Kelly Kathleen Page A

without her being constantly around to help you.”
    I could smell the eggs and then the bacon sizzling on the stove, not to mention the mushrooms that were mixed in with the omelet. It wasn’t the most difficult of meals to prepare, but the way that he did it made it look effortless.
    “I never actually thought about it before and I’ve always felt this deep anger towards her for leaving, but maybe she did think that we were both better off alone. I didn’t last more than my 14th birthday before I left home and joined the Marines. I used a fake identification and I was bigger than boys my same age, so they really didn’t take all that much consideration into it. At the time, they were looking for a few good men and I was right there in the right place without too many questions being asked.” We sat down and he actually squeezed freshly made orange juice and then we ate in silence, still looking at each other, as if we had made a mistake last night by not jumping into bed.
    “Chance, I think that we should get dressed and get moving, because the sooner that we find what you’re looking for, the sooner you can stop running for your life.” I didn’t want anything to happen to him, but I certainly didn’t want his circumstances to bleed into my life and Mike’s. It wasn’t fair to my Mike, especially when he didn’t even know what was going on.
    “You have done more than enough for me already and I can’t begin to pay you back.” We were heading out of the kitchen and he was following behind, because I had told him during breakfast that I could lend him one of Mike’s shirts.
    Glancing over my shoulder, I smiled, thinking that he was wonderful company for breakfast, when I heard what sounded like a door slamming shut.
    It sounded familiar, like I knew that sound from somewhere, but just couldn’t place it in my head. It was possible that those two guys had come back to finish the job. I had no idea how they would know that Chance was here, unless they had left some kind of listening device before they left yesterday. The way that Chance was talking about his business, I could seriously see that being the case.
    Chance and I both looked towards the door and saw a shadow coming towards it. I don’t know why, but I turned slightly and saw that Mike’s black briefcase was still sitting on the bottom step going upstairs. I was about to tell Chance to disappear, but the door opened too quickly and we were now caught like two deer in the headlights. With both of us half undressed and looking guilty as sin, I could only imagine what was going through Mike’s mind.
     
    * * *
     
    TO BE CONTINUED . . .
     

     
    Here’s a sneak peek at the next episode . . .
    “I don’t think you should be discussing this, because it will only lead to something that we can’t finish. You were right last night about stopping me from doing something that I would regret and I have to thank you for being the bigger person.” If we had gotten together in the Biblical sense, I think there would be a moment of horrible remorse after the act and that’s a feeling that I just didn’t want to have.
    “I’m not sure that I would agree with that statement, Cecily. I was kicking myself all night for turning you away, but I’m glad that I had the strength to do it. In any other circumstance, I would’ve been more than happy to be with you and even now I am fantasizing about it in my head.”
    “What were…you…thinking about?” I shouldn’t have said anything and my voice was cracking and showing the effect that he was having on me.
    “I was thinking about it when I came out of the shower and you found me standing there with just a towel. I wanted to take your hand and drag you into the shower with your clothes on, peeling them away from your milky skin until you were just as naked as I was. I would let you touch me, holding your hand the entire time, as you moved your fingers up and down my length. I would have kissed you hot